


And One Time Hutch Stayed Awake

by Curlew



Series: Shhh....Hutch is sleeping.... [3]
Category: Starsky and Hutch - Fandom
Genre: Episode related The Plague, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:34:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26363506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Curlew/pseuds/Curlew
Summary: More sick Hutch mush. Very gentle slash. Blink and you’ll miss it.
Relationships: Starsky/Hutch
Series: Shhh....Hutch is sleeping.... [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1881331
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	And One Time Hutch Stayed Awake

“Hey, look at you, out of bed and sitting up like a big boy!”

Starsky bounced into the room, and grinned delightedly at the sight of his partner sitting by the window, wrapped in his orange robe, an open book on his lap.

“And..” he bent down to investigate the area round the chair in an exaggerated manner- “No tubes. Not even the one in your..”

“Thanks, Starsk. I probably wouldn’t have noticed if you hadn’t told me”

“Smarts when they pull it out, doesn’t it?”

Hutch tried his best Starsky-quelling glare, but spoiled it with a fit of coughing that brought tears to his eyes. Starsky put an arm round him, and pressed a bracing hand against his chest, as the therapist had shown him.

“You need your inhaler?”

Hutch shook his head and managed to catch his breath. 

“Not all it’s made out to be, this being up thing”

Starsky reached round to ruffle the hair at the back of Hutch’s neck, and felt him lean into his hand for a fraction of a second.

“You’re not feeling so good. Want to get back into bed?”

“I’ve got to stay up for a half hour or the ex linebacker will be after me”

“The guy impersonating a physical therapist? He’s terrifying and weighs 50 pounds more than me. You’re on your own there. How long til the half hour’s up?”

Hutch glanced at the clock on the wall.

“Seven minutes and forty five seconds but who’s counting?”

“Aww buddy, this really is shit, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I kinda thought once I got the antibodies I’d be home free...”

“You do need to remember that 4 days ago you were unconscious and running 105” Starsky suppressed a shudder. It had seemed impossible that a human body could burn with such heat and survive - he could still feel the imprint of Hutch’s hand in his as if it had left a scar.

“I know. And people keep telling me to be patient”

Starsky grinned.

“Not your best thing, patience. What you reading?”

“The book about trees. It’s terrific”

“Thought you’d like it. Check out those redwoods - you ever seen them?”

“No. I’d like to, though”

“Hey, when you’re better, shall we go? The Torino would really like to drive through a tree....”

Hutch looked up sharply.

“You mean - just us? Like.....a vacation?”

“Yeah-a road trip. It’d be....” Starsky caught an expression in his partner’s eye he couldn’t read, and trailed off uncertainly, then, glad of the distraction, noticed the clock.

“You’ve served your time buddy- you’re out on parole. Need a hand?”

‘No, I’ve got it. I’ll use the john on the way”

“Oh yeah, you’ll need to do that now you haven’t got the hose pipe in your....”

Hutch closed the bathroom door firmly in Starsky’s face.

Ten minutes later, Hutch was back in bed, his face drawn with exhaustion.

“Man, you’re wiped, aren’t you? Want to take a nap?”

“No. Can you do your thing with the pillows? You can always get them comfortable”

“Natural talent. Maybe I’ll go into nursing when I get too old for the cop gig”

Silence fell. They usually had no problem with silence, but this time Starsky felt unsettled. It was two days since Hutch had said......what he had said, and Starsky had no idea what to do about it. Hutch seemed to have forgotten his sleepy mumble. Maybe “Don’t want anyone but you. Never did. Never do. Never will. Just you” had simply meant Starsky was the person he most wanted to hold his head while he threw up. Which Starsky already knew. Or even that a mix of sickness, exhaustion and a spectacular cocktail of drugs had sent his mind wandering into some fantasy world, and Hutch had been addressing his secret crush. Despite the unsettled feeling, Starsky laughed.

“What’s funny?”

“Just thinking about Elizabeth Montgomery”

“Hey, get out of my head!”

Hutch had forgotten not to raise his voice and brought on another fit of coughing. This one was so severe that his nurse appeared at what would have been a run if she hadn’t been a nurse, and then there was a nasty half hour with the nebulizer and steam and oxygen and a worrying blue tinge to Hutch’s lips. At last it was over, and he lay back, propped against Starsky’s shoulder, content to able to breathe again. 

“Reckon the sooner we get you out into that redwood forest the better, buddy, you need the air. You OK now? Want me to move?”

Hutch nestled slightly closer-answering the question without words and making Starsky feel awash with tenderness for this irritating, complicated, big hearted, frail, exhausted partner of his. There was a long silence, then the husky voice said

“Got something to say”

“Well, for fuck’s sake, say it quietly- I don’t want to go through that again”

“Sorry I inconvenienced you” There was a touch of his habitual asperity that lifted Starsky’s heart.

“I forgive you. Just don’t do it again”

Hutch smiled, then shifted a little so he could see Starsky’s face.

“I meant it, Starsk, when I said that I didn’t want anyone but you. I never will. It’s OK, you don’t have to say or do anything. But I wanted to tell you. I’ve felt it for a long time, and then, when I was sure I was going to die, I wished I’d told you. And then i was glad I hadn’t because it might have made it worse for you......”

Weariness and uncertainty made Hutch’s voice trail off. Starsky put his arms round him, and suddenly everything was simple and made sense and all the pieces tumbled into place and they were Ken and Dave. Starsky and Hutch. Them. Starsky turned his head and kissed him with a world of tenderness and promise on his lips.

“Let’s get you well, babe, because I’m looking forward to the next hundred years”


End file.
